The Long-Term Neuroprotective Effect of the Endocannabinoid 2-AG and Modulation of the SGZ’s Neurogenic Response after Neonatal Hypoxia-Ischemia

Neonatal hypoxia-ischemia (HI) often causes hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), a neurological condition that can lead to overall disability in newborns. The only treatment available for affected neonates is therapeutic hypothermia; however, cooling is not always effective to prevent the deleterious effects of HI, so compounds such as cannabinoids are currently under research as new therapies. Modulating the endocannabinoid system (ECS) may reduce brain damage and/or stimulate cell proliferation at the neurogenic niches. Further, the long-term effects of cannabinoid treatment are not so clear. Here, we studied the middle- and long-term effects of 2-AG, the most abundant endocannabinoid in the perinatal period after HI in neonatal rats. At middle-term (postnatal day 14), 2-AG reduced brain injury and increased SGZ’s cell proliferation and the number of neuroblasts. At post-natal day 90, the treatment with the endocannabinoid showed global and local protection, suggesting long-lasting neuroprotective effects of 2-AG after neonatal HI in rats.